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Following the unveiling of the white paper, Scotland's future – your guide to an independent Scotland, we want to discuss the impact of the 670-page report dubbed the "independence encyclopaedia" on the future of Scottish higher education.
The paper says there will be "major direct gains" for Scottish universities in an independent Scotland. The policy proposals are as follows:
• Access to higher education will be based on "ability not wealth"
• Scottish students will continue to receive free access to universities in Scotland
• Negotiation with Westminster on fair funding formula with UK research councils, based on population share
• Scotland to develop its own policy on immigration to support students during and after their studies
• Promotion of Scottish higher education through a dedicated overseas diplomatic and trade network
David Willetts, minister for universities and science, has already warned that Scottish academics "would lose billions in funding" if the country became independent. There are also concerns that Scottish universities would face a brain drain of talent after independence as funding declined.
Higher Education Statistics Agency figures show that Scotland's universities are more reliant on UK grants, which provide 26% of their overall research funding compared to 22% grant income for the UK as a whole. Edinburgh University alone won a third (£83m) of its research funding from UK grants – more than from the Scottish Funding Council.
A UK government paper published earlier this month also looked at the impact of independence on scientific research. In 2012-13 Scottish higher education institutions secured £257min grants from the UK research councils, which equates to 13% of UK funding on research (excluding infrastructure), compared to Scotland's 8% share of UK GDP.
"We do great things as a single, integrated system and a single integrated brings with it great strengths," Willetts said. "It's a coherent system which works well for Scotland; we don't want to see it fragmented or split up." But Michael Russell, Scottish education secretary believes Scottish universities are "a case study in the benefits of decisions about Scotland being taken in Scotland – the central point of the independence debate".
Join us in the comments section on Friday 29 November from 12-2pm GMT to discuss the impact of the Scottish referendum on the future of higher education. Here's what we are looking to discuss:
• Research funding and collaboration
• Student recruitment and finance
• Academic movement and immigration
• Global reputation and ranking
You can also follow the debate live on Twitter using the hashtag #HElivechat
Panel
Mary Senior is the Scottish official of the University and College Union. @mary_senior_ @UCUScotland
Gordon Maloney is president of NUS Scotland. @gordonmaloney
David McCollum is a lecturer in geography and sustainable development at the University of St Andrews.
Scott Tindal is a research fellow (funded by the ESRC Centre for Population Change) at the University of St Andrews.
Elisabet Weedon is deputy director and a senior research fellow in the Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity at the University of Edinburgh, and currently working on the ESRC funded project: higher education in Scotland, the devolution settlement and the referendum on independence.
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